A Little Extra Help
by White Shade
Summary: What if Belle could no longer keep up with Mr. Gold's disastrous house? She may need some help around here...perhaps like she'd done in the past?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The Dark One's castle was probably as worse as she expected it to be. Belle, happy to be free of an arranged marriage she rather disliked and away from a kingdom falling apart, couldn't help but sigh as she awoke that morning.

Looking around, she had to figure out how to get all this done. It seemed so impossible! She began with dusting his collections and trophies of his past dealings, wondering how he came upon each one. The dolls scared her a little, for their eyes to be holding such a terrifying gaze...she only held them for as long as she had to. After shuddering, Belle moved on to the cabinet filled with special vases and dishes. She placed each item on the floor in the order of how she picked it from the cabinet. Then, just after placing them back, Rumpelstiltskin called her.

"Dearie, come here for a moment, will you?"

Belle didn't know what to expect, but nonetheless she followed his voice into...the kitchen?

"What do you call this?" he asked, gesturing to the state of the kitchen. He pointed out a rat on the floor eating a piece of meat.

"An awfully kept kitchen," Belle shot him a look, narrowing her eyes. There was something in Rumpel's gaze that made him look a little sheepish.

"These haven't been done in weeks. I suggest you get a move on," Rumpel said before walking away. She didn't even have the time to say anything.

"I've only been here a few days!" Belle called back, but he pretended not to hear her. She scowled at the mess, taking the broom and whacking the rat to its deathbed. She left it there for when she decided to sweep and wash the floors.

Belle took as many rags as she could find and then began to run the warm water, filling it with a special cleaning agent Rumpel prepared himself. She wondered why he didn't just use magic to do the dishes. Was he really that lazy he couldn't take the simple effort to flick his wrist? No, since he instead made something for her to wash the dishes with.

Sometimes, Rumpelstiltskin mystified Belle, but she liked that about him. At times he made no sense whatsoever, yet she followed his every word, every complaint, and every request. After spending the entire afternoon with the kitchen, she continued dusting the dining and spinning room.

* * *

Dusk settled in and she watched the clock carefully. Rumpel came out of his laboratory, for Belle couldn't help but hear the loud pounding of the double doors as he made his exit. She didn't hear his footsteps, so she assumed he had enough to think about and that he was heading upstairs to bed. Her eyes averted to the spinning wheel in the corner of the room.

This was where he spent most of his time, but just in case, Belle walked over to it, seeing a few patches of dust. She went to put the duster to its place, but...

"What are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin's voice roared as he came right beside her.

Belle gasped, turning around and apologizing right away.

"It's just-well, there was some dust on it, so I was going to clean it up..." Belle stuttered.

"Don't. Touch. The wheel."

"I understand. I'm sorry," she said, going past him, brushing against his silk golden shirt. She just wanted to get away from him, he held such a fierce look upon his face. Belle didn't tell him she was retiring that night, she just did it on her own, hoping he wouldn't come into her room while she slept.

An eccentric dream awoke Belle from her deep slumber. Though she couldn't remember exactly what happened in the dream, she knew Rumpelstiltskin was involved. She lit a candlestick and opened the door from her room. Belle changed out her nightclothes and walked around for a little while, descending the large, spiral staircase that led to the spinning room just across the hallway. Though she knew Rumpelstiltskin was not spinning at this time of the night, a small part of her wished he was. It would be nice to have someone around for when she had moments like this. She felt alone and rather scared, for the castle still took some getting used to for her.

Taking a deep breath, Belle found herself outside Rumpel's laboratory. If he ever caught her in there alone, he'd freak, and she knew he could appear out of nowhere sometimes. Deciding she wasn't going to sleep another wink that night, Belle found the duster and some other cleaning supplies, and she began to dust the hallway, eyeing the laboratory practically the entire time.

She was going to do it. Belle opened the door quietly, not knowing what to expect. Shelves. Shelves upon shelves of books surrounded the entire area! Belle thought to dust them off, and seeing as it was one in the morning, she thought for sure she could get at least a few shelves done. There was a ladder built in so she could climb up easily. Some of the titles were a little much for her to handle. A book on religion and symbols, some on magic, others on herbs and medicines.

_What did he create in here?_ she wondered. Perhaps he did it all.

The first shelf only took her an hour, and that was counting the dusting of all the books on the shelf. Would Rumpelstiltskin even notice she was in here cleaning? Belle figured that if he was going to scold her for being in there without him, she'd say that nothing was broken, nothing was lost, she just cleaned up the book shelves. She would not touch the potions, that was a silent vow she made to herself. A few more shelves had been dusted and she had to cross the room, past the potions and tables filled with them. She couldn't help but notice there was only one potion not on the large shelf. Stopping, Belle held the candlestick closer, seeing a heart engraved beneath the missing bottle as a label of some sorts.

_A heart...true love? _Belle thought to herself. _No, no one can bottle true love...right?_

Shaking her head and moving on, she came across an open book on a table and her curiosity bound her to take a small peek. It was a potion about bringing items to life. How fascinating would that be? To see a live candlestick...or a clock? Belle couldn't help but think of the possibilities.

Then an idea came to her as she moved on to the next shelf. What if all it took was a drop of that concoction? She could have all sorts of help around this castle! The duster could come to life and dust for her, and dishes could wash themselves...or just a rag would do the trick.

Rumpelstiltskin would never allow it, Belle knew that much. But it was such a splendid idea, she couldn't get it out of her head as she cleaned a few other shelves. About a few hours later, she heard Rumpelstiltskin stirring upstairs. Belle was cleaning the last shelf of books when he had come down the stairs.

"Where are you dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin called. "I'm waiting for my morning meal."

_I have a name you know_, Belle thought to herself, rolling her eyes. She finished the last book, not calling back to him, fearing what he'd say if he saw her emerge from the laboratory.

She heard him coming this way! His footsteps were quite ostentatious, and he kept calling her dearie. Biting her bottom lip nervously, Belle hid under a table in the corner of the room, the duster with her. Thankfully she left the rest in the kitchen when she past by. His magic opened the locks to the laboratory she'd redone when she entered.

"Surely you wouldn't find yourself in my potion room would you now?" he questioned in the room. "Oh no, you know better than to enter without me...yes..."

Belle bit her lip harder, almost smiling at the sound of his voice. He didn't sound mad at all. In fact, it sounded as if he were bantering with her. Seeing the backs of his heels near the next table, she took her chances and played the game with him. As he looked sharply under a table she was not under, she got up and shuffled behind the door, crossing her fingers he wouldn't look there. Tucking her skirt in her hands, she bit her lip harder, still smiling wide. The laugher was right on the tip of her tongue.

"Belle...dearie, I know you're in here," Rumpel said. "Just come on out, now. Tell me why you were in here without me like I told you not to be...all is forgiven...Belle?"

Belle peeked behind the door to see him on the way other side of the room, looking under another table. Either he really was waiting for her to come out or he was tricking her. She thought the latter of the matter. Still, the situation was extremely hilarious in her mind.

"Ah, you're behind the secret bookcase aren't you?" as he was occupied with himself and the bookshelf she never even knew had a secret place behind it, Belle shuffled out the door, still holding her breath. She stood in the spinning room by the table, and let a breath out.

Her laughter calmed, and she waited for him, dusting off the mantel above the fireplace. She'd ask him what he wanted for breakfast, that made things so much easier. When he didn't appear for another few minutes, Belle just waltzed into the kitchen herself and prepared pancakes from scratch. As they were simmering on the stove, she finally heard him again.

Rumpel stomped to the front door, passing the kitchen and opening the doors outside.

"Belle! I will find you, and when I do things aren't going to be-"

"Oh there you are," Belle chimed in, her mind storming of laughter in the back of her head, yet a smile was all the showed of it. "I was beginning to wonder if you had other business. Breakfast would have been for nothing."

She turned around and walked off to the kitchen, putting the pancakes on a plate, laughing to herself. When she returned, he was standing right by the now closed doors, a dumbfounded look on his face.

"What's the matter?" Belle asked, looking at the plate. "You don't like pancakes?"

Rumpelstiltskin blinked. "No, I do like them. I was just-it's nothing."

Belle served him his meal, eating her own plate as well, however she couldn't help but catch a few glimpses of him. He'd been staring at her almost the entire meal.

"You were in the potion room, why?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. Belle stared at him blankly.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Oh don't play the peasant girl with me, I know you were in there. The bookshelves were dusted. Why were in there without me?" he asked. Belle sighed.

"You never showed me your potion room, Rumpelstiltskin. How am I supposed to know it when I see it? It was dark, I couldn't sleep, so I dusted a few shelves," Belle said.

"It's a potion room, you'd see the potions clear as day," Rumpel said. "You're not supposed to be in there."

"Well I don't have night vision," Belle replied. "I didn't see anything other than shelves. I just walked inside and knew the shelves needed dusting. They were right by the window so I _could_ see them. There might have been other things, but I didn't touch anything else."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this argument. He let the circumstance go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Belle was shown the potion room during the daylight hours this time, and properly by Rumpelstiltskin, who gave her the permission to clean off the tables and the dust the potion cabinets off. He was working close by, and Belle looked over a couple of times. It was that animation spell, and she knew it. He was still working on it. When the first cabinet of potions was cleaned off, she watched him use a mysterious device.

"What is that?" she asked, closing the cabinet door and moving on to the next one. "That tool you're using?"

"Called an eyedropper, dearie. Precision," Rumpel replied simply. Belle continued her work, seeing this was the cabinet with the missing potion.

"You're missing one," she noted.

"I'm fully aware of that."

"Which one is it?" Belle asked, taking off the first bottle to dust off. Rumpelstiltskin turned to her.

"Are you going to ask this many questions?" he asked. "Perhaps I shouldn't let you in here anymore."

"Then you're going to have a very dirty workspace," Belle said, not even turning her head.

"True love," Rumpelstiltskin said. Belle turned.

"I'm sorry?"

"That's the one I'm missing. True love. The most difficult to bottle," Rumpelstiltskin explained. "Just need to know the right...couple."

Belle began imagining what true love would look like in a bottle. She thought of red and pink, maybe an orange color sparkling inside. Knowing he'd had enough of her questions, Belle simply enjoyed her time with him all day in the laboratory.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin seemed to get along just fine. She did a lot of work around the castle, sometimes he'd go out, or he'd lock himself up in that potion room. Belle avoided the wheel, remembering what happened last time. Keeping up with the dishes was by far the hardest thing. Dishes seemed to never end and when there were other things to be done, Belle always found herself putting away dishes at the end of the night while Rumpel was home and spinning in the other room.

Belle liked being around him, not because he was the only person to be around, but because he was interesting to her. After the dishes had been put away, she'd bring a book into the spinning room and read by the fireplace as he spun the wheel. A few times, she'd glance over at the basket full of gold thread he'd spun.

"Would you like me to change it out?" she asked, marking her book.

Rumpelstiltskin didn't reply, he only stared at the wheel's motion. She asked once more, but only got the same result. Belle went to get another basket. He had four of them, and whenever one was full of thread, she'd have to take it back to a specific room and dump it (yes dump it), onto the giant piles that already existed. One day, Belle feared this whole room would be flooded.

She dropped the basket onto the floor beside the other and placed both of her hands on his shoulders. Then he turned, his eyes no longer holding such a deep and dark glare as she thought they usually did. He seemed in a trance of some sort, but he looked at her this time nonetheless.

"I'm going to switch the baskets," she said gently. Sliding her hands off his shoulders, she took the first basket as he cut it with his magic. Belle placed the new one underneath the wheel for the new threads and dumped the last basket into the other room.

Just a bundle of that would get him this entire castle all over again. Belle wondered why he spun so much...

That next morning, Belle asked if things in the potion room were going as he liked. Rumpelstiltskin told her that he'd finished what he was working on before and was now onto another project. They were talking more often. However, that was the last word she'd gotten from him, because then he'd be gone all day, dealing. At least that meant less dishes for her...

Belle dusted a lot that day, finding that it was also a good idea to mop the kitchen and other places with tile flooring. She let them dry as she dusted other parts of the castle. The potion room door haunted her the entire time as she once again came upon that hallway. The girl just couldn't stay away, she had to go in. Right away, she spotted the potion Rumpelstiltskin had finished. The animation potion. Belle took an eye dropper, like she saw Rumpel use, and she put a drop on her duster.

"Oh my, I cannot believe zis!" the duster spoke. A pair of eyes came onto the duster and it began to speak with a mouth. The feathers became her legs and she could move!

"You're real!" Belle exclaimed.

"Oh...Bonjour Mademoiselle," the duster spoke. "What happened to me?"

"You were a duster and I used you every day to clean this awful place. When Rumpelstiltskin told me he completed this potion that could bring you to life, I wanted to try it...and it works!"

"Oh...you have to clean zis all by yourself?" the duster asked. "That's horrible. This Rumpelstiltskin must be a _terrible_ person."

"Oh no, he's not all bad," Belle informed the duster. "I just-there's too much to do. I thought by bringing you to life, my work would be easier."

"That it would. I'd be happy to help you. My name is...what is my name?" the duster asked, looking to Belle.

"I don't know. I didn't name any of my cleaning supplies."

"Zen...call me Fifi, I like zat name," she told Belle.

"Ok, well Fifi, would you like some friends then? I have to use this before Rumpel gets back. I'm going to need more than just you...and he can't know I did this!" Belle said.

"I promise to not tell!" Fifi replied and Belle took her into the kitchen where she pointed out a teapot.

"I didn't even know he had so many!" Belle gasped. "I only use the silver set." Belle put a drop on a white teapot with a purple lid.

That one too came to life, and so they called her Mrs. Potts. She could jump around, and was also sworn to secrecy from Rumpelstiltskin. The household items seemed to get around just fine without breaking themselves and Mrs. Potts swore she would keep the dishes in line. Belle put a drop on her rag, wondering how much more would be necessary, for she didn't want to use so much that he'd notice what she was doing.

The rag was named Gus, for he was a male it seemed.

"Okay, only two more drops, that's all I can afford here," Belle told them. "And remember, Rumpelstiltskin cannot know I did this."

"I understand my dear," Mrs. Potts said. "If he comes around, we'll all close our eyes and wait for him to pass."

"Zat's right," Fifi added. "We will remain still and silent." Gus agreed and Belle let Mrs. Potts and Gus do the morning dishes while her and Fifi searched for two more items to bring to life.

"What about the candlestick?" Fifi suggested. "You could see better at night and have someone to talk to all the time. You could keep it in your room. We can be with you all ze time."

"I don't know..."

"Or ze clock! Yes, zen you could keep track of time. It could tell you when to get going and what else you had to do," Fifi said.

"All right, I like that idea," Belle confessed, and so a drop was placed on the small clock sitting on a table in the spinning room. Fifi explained what happened and the secret the clock had to keep.

Being a proper gentleman it seemed, the clock agreed to the terms, and his name became Cogsworth. Fifi still pushed the candlestick idea, but Belle wasn't so sure. There was only one drop left.

"Belle my dear," Mrs. Potts called from the kitchen. "The master wouldn't happen to have darker skin a long cape would he?"

"That's what he wears when he goes out," Belle said.

"Then that must be him coming up the path!" Mrs. Potts exclaimed. "Your dishes are done my dear, don't worry about them. We'll be all right."

Fifi turned to Belle.

"We don't have a lot of time. Take him or leave him!" Belle grabbed Fifi and put a drop on the candlestick, taking him too. She put the dropper back in the lab right where she found it and put the candlestick and the duster up in her room so they could talk.

Just then, the doors opened and closed. It was Rumpelstiltskin...home early. Belle rushed to the window to see him strolling up closer and closer, head up high. She rushed into the kitchen, starting a large soup. It was the only thing she could think of right this minute.

"Are you all right?" Mrs. Potts asked.

"He's home! I'm trying to make soup. Can you pass me the carrots?"

Gus whipped up and gave Belle the carrots while Mrs. Potts gave her an onion and some celery. Belle heated up the stove with a flame and put the broth in a pot at once, and then she began cutting vegetables. There was an adrenaline rush within her veins, and she couldn't decide if she was overjoyed he was back this early or if she just felt rushed. Either way, she was enjoying it: the rush of the dinner hour.

Rumpel seemed to be taking his sweet time, and Belle couldn't have been more grateful for that. The carrots went in at once and then she moved on to the celery, chopping it very quickly.

"Don't cut yourself now," Gus told her. Belle was trying very hard not to. After plopping those in, she chopped part of the onion, and Gus handed her some noodles.

"Might be helpful."

Belle sighed, deciding she just needed to calm down. She took a deep breath.

"It's all right, Belle, you'll have it prepared in time. He's the one who's back early. He can't expect you to cook for him when he told you he wasn't going to be back," Mrs. Potts told her.

"You're right," Belle said, slowing down a little. She put in the noodles and took her time chopping up a few more vegetables. Mrs. Potts smiled as she saw Belle calming down.

"I'm not afraid to argue with him anyway," Belle informed them. The door opened and the household items shut their eyes and took a position where they looked natural.

"Belle?" he called to her.

"In here," she replied, and Rumpelstiltskin walked into the kitchen.

"Ah, supper?" he questioned.

"Well, I saw you coming up the path, figured I should make something quick. Hope soup is fine," she told him.

"Soup sounds...great," he said, seeming hesitant at that last word. Belle didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She watched him after he left and for once, he didn't go to the spinning wheel or his lab...instead he just sat right in the chair, kicking off his boots and leaning back.

Belle watched the soup, wondering if he'd had a rough day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Rough day?" Belle asked as she brought the soup to him in a bowl along with a cup of tea which she began to pour for him.

"One way to put it, yes?" Rumpelstiltskin replied.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or do I not want to know?" Belle asked as she set the silver teapot down.

"I'd rather ye didn't," he told her. Belle poured herself a cup of tea, but that was all she wanted, for she'd eaten only a few hours earlier. She sat next to him in a chair instead of all the way across the table like she normally did.

He ate the soup, sighing a lot. He seemed so warn out to Belle. When she finished her cup of tea, Rumpel was still eating, taking his time. She got up, placing her cup on the silver platter. She merely sat back down, wondering if she should return to work or if she should stay. After a few moments, she got up and took the cup she was using to the dishes, where she ran the water and filled it with bubbles all ready for Mrs. Potts and Gus.

When she returned, he had finished the soup, so she took that back as well, seeing Gus and Mrs. Potts already at work.

"Thank you," she whispered. The teapot and rag nodded towards her before she went back into the dining room.

Rumpelstiltskin was trying to spin the wheel, but she found he had trouble with his shoulders and sitting upright. Belle put her hands on his shoulders. He didn't flinch, but he stopped spinning.

"You look tired, Rumpelstiltskin," she said, starting to rub his shoulders, which he didn't object to whatsoever. In fact, what Belle was doing couldn't have felt better on him. "Sit by the fire...please?"

He obliged with her request and he sat down, putting his legs out since being in leather pants wasn't exactly the most roomy for his legs to cross. Belle worked at his shoulders, when he suddenly took off the crocodile skin jacket and the vest to only have a red shirt covering his chest.

Belle allowed him to do this and then worked back on his shoulders, now being able to feel the true tension upon his neck.

"You're very tense," she noted. "Does it hurt when I do this?"

"No dearie, keep doing it," Rumpelstiltskin told her, though that didn't sound like a command.

Belle smirked and continued her work on his shoulders, tracing along his back and up to his neck. Just hearing him sigh somehow made everything worth while to her. She seemed to be making him feel better.

Things were ten times easier with the household items working with her. Rumpelstiltskin never found out about them talking and being so lively while he was away. Fifi was the most helpful to Belle by far. There was so much dusting to be done, but Mrs. Potts and Gus were valued greatly too. Belle had another duster (one that didn't talk) and Cogsworth helped her keep the time. Whenever she was up late or needed some light, the candlestick called Lumiere was right at her side.

* * *

When Rumpelstiltskin expected she'd never return, she'd talked with Lumiere and Fifi while getting a basket.

"He let me go," she said.

"Oh! Are you leaving us?" Fifi asked. "What will we do without you?"

"I don't know, keep each other company...I guess...I don't know..." Belle said. She knew she wanted to leave, but there was something bothering her. Rumpelstiltskin was trusting her, well sort of. If she came back, what would he say?

She liked it here in his castle. She was not lonely and things were finally falling into place. Belle knew he liked her, especially when he caught her after she fell from the ladder straight into his arms. As a matter of fact, Belle liked him too, more than she was admitting. Fifi knew though, she could just tell the whole time. The two often spoke of it while he was out, but only the two.

* * *

Belle had come back, and she'd kissed him! He didn't pull away the first time, there was something between them, and Belle knew that for certain when his curse began to fade right before her eyes. But then she screwed it all up, yes she did. Belle told him of true love and he got very angry with her. He even grabbed her and shook her violently before throwing her into the dungeon. Belle sat alone, crying for a while, knowing she'd done this to herself. If only she hadn't mentioned the woman she'd met on the road...

When she got up to leave after yelling at him for being a coward, she saw the mess in the dining room. She gasped and then she went into the kitchen to see Mrs. Potts and Gus. The others were there as well.

"Oh my," Mrs. Potts said. "We heard it all. There must be a large mess in there, the glass was smashing all over. I even hear teapots being smashed!"

"Don't worry, he won't throw you," Belle said. "I-I have to go. He hates me now. He threw me out." The tears were starting. Fifi came up to her and Gus peeked out into the dining room along with Lumiere.

Mrs. Potts gave Belle some advice like traveling as she always wanted to do, or so that's what she told them all. Gus suggested she walk around and clean her mind. Fifi said she would come out and try to find Belle if she had to, depending on how Rumpelstiltskin was doing.

Belle just said nothing but goodbye to all of them, grabbed her cloak and headed out the door, and then the tears started...

Lumiere looked at the mess again.

"Poor poor Belle," Mrs. Potts sighed. "All alone now."

"I am NOT cleaning that up!" the candlestick boasted. Fifi agreed. There wasn't much else they could do except keep the place up...in bits at a time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Mr. Gold had brought magic back to Storybrooke. Belle remembered everything, or rather, more importantly, she knew it was real. It was all real. Her Rumpelstiltskin was here, right beside her. And she let him unleash magic, the very thing that separated them in the first place. She'd been too weak and too confused to try and stop him. He insisted on it though, and Belle just let him.

When he brought her back to his large estate, she remembered bumping into something right away.

"Ow, what is-" then she got a glimpse of the entire house and it was a huge mess!

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she exclaimed, brushing her messy hair out of her face. "This-this is a disaster." Belle turned to him.

"I own a pawn shop, I'm trying to sell it, dearie," he explained to her. Belle still couldn't believe this. "I need people on my side."

"On your side?" Belle questioned.

"Yes. They see the stuff that was once theirs, they want it back. I make them a good deal and they get it back. More people for me, less for Regina...especially now. Your story leeks out and we have the advantage," Mr. Gold said, smirking.

Belle had no words, she only stared. Then she looked around the house.

"For the time being, you'll be staying with me. Feel free to look around. I'll be right in my office over here if you need me. I think it's best I let you explore on your own," Rumpel told her.

Belle merely nodded, wanting to run upstairs and just cry her eyes out. That was her chance. She could have kissed him, made him see that there was more to life than magic and beating Regina. But her memory came too late, she couldn't recall enough in time. There were tears swelling in her eyes already as she looked around the house. Rumpelstiltskin had so much stuff. There was just too much for her at this moment.

The girl went upstairs where she found his bedroom and then another next to it, probably a guest room of sorts. Belle took it for herself and shut the door quietly. Sitting on the bed, Belle let everything out, allowing her tears to soak the bedsheets and covers as she lay on them.

"Belle?" a voice whispered. "Is that you?"

It was a voice she recognized, but it was not Rumpelstiltskin's. She turned her head to see a candlestick on her nightstand. Slowly, it opened its eyes. Belle tried to pick him from her memory when suddenly it hit her.

"Lumiere!" she said through hot tears. "You're still here!"

"Yes cherie, I am," he replied. "The master never found out about us. Through that curse we stuck it out."

"We?" Belle asked, then she remembered Mrs. Potts, Fifi, Cogsworth, and Gus, everything she made come to life a while after she began to live with Rumpelstiltskin for the first time...

She was his maid.

"Lumiere, is everyone all right?" Belle said.

"I think so. Cogsworth is in that closet somewhere, Mrs. Potts is downstairs somewhere, and Fifi...I don't know where Fifi is," the candlestick told her.

"Gus?"

"Gus, I don't know about him either, sorry," Lumiere said. Belle thought Gus was in the worst position of everyone. Easily Rumpel could have tossed a rag, or the rag would not have survived the curse.

Belle was focused on herself more at the moment though. More tears came running down her face, but Lumiere didn't ask for any details. Instead, he asked of the master, and what happened to them, where they were. Although the girl wasn't very responsive, Lumiere thought it best to keep talking. To him, she seemed a little less upset.

"I'm going to find Cogsworth."

Just as the candlestick jumped off the nightstand, there was a knocking on the closet door. Lumiere opened it to find a gasping Cogsworth.

"I say, there is no air left in there," the clock said, then he looked to Belle. "Oh gosh! B-b-b-b-Belle!" But the girl just kept crying on the bed, and that's when the two objects heard footsteps coming upstairs. Cogsworth took the bottom of the night stand and Lumiere jumped on the bed to get back on the top.

It was Rumpelstiltskin, but he didn't open the door. He only found it closed and he heard Belle was upset. As much as he wanted to go inside, he thought it best not to. Originally, he was going to present himself in his magical form...the true Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One. That way she wouldn't be so surprised when she saw him again. He would look just as she last remembered.

But he couldn't bring himself to enter the guest room. He just left Belle alone. As he came back down the stairs, he found his old spinning wheel that he'd saved from the curse. He set it out in the living room and was just about to sit at it, but a rapping noise startled him. The house was usually quiet, and he knew it wasn't Belle, she was upstairs.

As he came nearer to the kitchen, the noise got louder. Rumpelstiltskin looked around, but saw nothing.

"Um, excuse me, Rumpel," the voice said. He turned around, giving off a warning vibe. "Down here." The Dark One spun around, only to rest his eyes on his cabinet. There was a white teapot with a purple lid, but...it had eyes and a mouth! It was speaking to him!

Rumpelstiltskin opened the cabinet and the teapot hopped out.

"Thank you kindly," she said. Then she hoped away.

"Where are you going? How are you speaking to me?" Rumpel demanded, but he found that he could not control the pot with his magic.

"There's a girl cryin' upstairs, I can hear her, and it's Belle for sure. No doubt you have something to do with it," the teapot bounced away. "Come on Gus, he can't hurt you."

A rag emerged from the countertop and walked off with the teapot. Rumpelstiltskin blinked. What just happened?

There was a little rap at the door.

"Belle, my dear, open the door please," Mrs. Potts called. Gus did it for her after a few moments, and they were greeted by Lumiere and Cogsworth. They all gathered around the girl who was still crying on the bedspread.

"You're acting as though you're stuck here forever," Gus noted. "What is wrong?"

Everyone looked at her, and Belle wiped some of her tears away.

"He-he-I could've-I could have stopped him," Belle said before letting more tears fall. Her face was soaking wet. "Magic wouldn't have been brought back, he'd have no power, I could have stopped him!"

The objects looked at each other, all of them were confused. When the candlestick asked what she meant, Belle did as best she could to explain that this world had no magic a few hours ago, then Rumpelstiltskin brought it back somehow. She'd been there the whole time, and she could have easily stopped him; but, she couldn't remember everything fast enough so as he dropped the vile into the well, she didn't do anything to stop him.

"Aw, it is not your fault," Lumiere told Belle. "You couldn't remember...so what? We're here now. Magic is back. We need magic in the land right?"

"But you don't understand," Belle sighed. "I love him, and I could have kissed him again, much longer, and he would have nothing to lose..."

"Oh, honey," Mrs. Potts said, coming onto the bed. "It'll be all right. He took you back into his house didn't he? He still cares for you."

Belle sobbed a little more, and when Mrs. Potts came closer she gasped as she felt the sheets and how soaked they were.

"My dear! There's enough tears here I could make a pot of tea!" Mrs. Potts exclaimed. "Please stop crying, Belle. It's not doing you any good."

"I suppose it's not," the girl said. "But it's just-just so hard. To love someone and not be able to kiss them without a curse being broken. Rumpelstiltskin wants his magic. He's always chosen it over me."

"Well, then he's a fool," Gus added. "Once he realizes that you are in distress, he'll probably just run away again or throw her out."

"Oh no, the master won't throw her out," Cogsworth corrected. "Must I remind you all of what happened last time?"

"He has a point," Lumiere said. "He won't run away again, or throw Belle out...but I don't know what else to say."

"She has to talk to him herself," Mrs. Potts said, looking at Belle. She only nodded, but she refused to leave the room. Mrs. Potts explained that she may have given Rumpelstiltskin a good scare on her way up to Belle's room.

That reminded them that Fifi was still no where to be found, and the other items weren't going outside of Belle's room without her. All of them were afraid of Rumpelstiltskin. That is, all of them except Mrs. Potts...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Belle sat in the guest room a little while longer, cracking the window for some air. She told them about the world that once was before magic had returned to their lands. The objects were glad to be back to life, but Gus seemed a bit leery about the outside world. Not that Belle blamed them, for they've never been outside Rumpelstiltskin's castle in all their lives.

"It's really not so bad. I have yet to explore it much myself really," she confessed.

"If you'll even get to," Cogsworth said. "Will the master even let you out of the...estate?"

"He should, but he might not," Belle replied, shrugging. "Do you really think I should go talk to him?"

"It's the best way to go about it," Mrs. Potts said. The girl sighed, and finally opened the door to her room.

Walking around the upstairs, Belle found two bathrooms, one fairly simple and then one so...so Rumpel it had his name all over it. Dark wood, red walls, golden mirror with a cover over it (Belle could see the edges) and a red shower curtain. Yep, Rumpelstiltskin's bathroom for sure. Belle thought he cleaned up nicely though. Seeing him in that suit made her think he was a regular man and a rather attractive one. Although she couldn't explain it to anyone but herself, Belle liked it when men dressed up, especially Rumpelstiltskin. Or rather, as he is referred to in this realm, Mr. Gold.

As she descended the spiral staircase in search of Rumpelstiltskin, Belle was trying to think of what she would say to him. After all, she was not mad, angry, or upset with him, more so herself. She wanted him to be hers, fully hers, to a point where she could kiss him and be a little more physical. Yet, a part of her was very scared of when that moment in time would arise, for she had never been in a relationship in which both parties wanted wanted each other.

Her thoughts averted to the potion room Rumpel used to have and how she made those objects come to life and help her in the castle. Perhaps he would inquire about that as well, maybe scold her a little bit. Maybe that was her punishment for bringing them to life. Maybe that's why Rumpelstiltskin brought the magic back.

"Rumpelstiltskin," she called, a little nervousness in her voice. Belle was in the living room where she found he'd laid out his spinning wheel. However, he was not spinning it.

"Rumpelstiltskin."

The man emerged from a back room, and she glanced at him, blinking twice to make sure she wasn't dreaming. He was back to himself, magic and all. The skin tone returned and he had his power again. No, he was no longer Mr. Gold.

"Belle," he said, and she realized his voice was also back to its old self. For moments, they just stared at each other, and then Belle felt something...a strong urge. She wanted to just forgive him for everything in the past, wrongs and all. And that's exactly what she was going to do.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Belle ran into his arms again, figuring that if they couldn't kiss then they were going to hug...a lot. She let some tears fall on his suit, which she couldn't believe he was still wearing. It didn't really suit him anymore.

He grasped her tightly as he had when he first saw her alive in this world.

"Why did you do it?" Belle sobbed.

"Why did I do what?" Rumpel asked, wondering which mistake she was referring to, for he'd made many.

"Bring the magic back...y-y-you didn't even let me kiss you..." Belle said, grasping him tighter.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle.

"Belle...that is not true," Rumpelstiltskin explained. "The magic I brought back simply returns us to our regular states when the curse was enacted. My magic...is permanent."

"But, will you always look like that?" Belle asked. He let her go.

"What is it? Do I look more hideous than what you remember?" he asked. Belle shook her head violently for a few moments.

"No! I just-I just meant that...well, since you looked like that, your magic was still your curse," Belle explained. Then she put her hand on his arm. "I love you, whatever you look like."

There was an awkward moment between them, where they didn't touch again.

"I noticed you um, you still cover your bathroom mirror up," Belle said. "Why don't you take that down?"

"I think it's your turn to answer questions," Rumpelstiltskin said. "Like, oh I don't know, the talking teapot and walking rag?"

"That's a bit of a long story..." Belle said, averting her eyes. Mr. Gold sat took the stool from the spinning wheel and sat down.

"Please, dearie, do tell me what the hell is going on," he said in a rather lightly confused tone. Belle sat on the couch and explained to him the things she'd done in the past to make work easier for herself.

"It appears made you work too hard," he said. "I didn't mean for that, but I am rather disappointed you went into my lab without my permission to get a potion such as that. Still, I must applaud your secrecy.

"There's still one problem," Belle said. "We are missing one of them."

"We?" Rumpel asked.

"Well, me, the candlestick, the clock, the teapot, and the rag, yes. We are missing one of them. She's a feather duster. Her name is Fifi," Belle said.

"You _named _them?" Mr. Gold asked. "You odd, odd girl."

"Me, odd?" Belle asked. "Now where would you get an idea like that?" They both smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"A feather duster? Belle," Mr. Gold sighed, shaking his head. "Everything I do, all the potions in the world and you make cleaning toys come to life!"

Belle smiled and nodded.

"You silly girl."

She shrugged as they spent all day looking for Fifi. As they did so, Belle decided to confess that these objects were her friends now, and she wondered if he could change them into real people like she always wanted them to be.

"Belle, magic is a little different now. I can't just go changing inanimate objects into people," Rumpel sighed.

"Oh, all right, I was just wondering." Belle couldn't take it any longer. As Gold went back to work, she grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around.

"You promised me you wouldn't give in to your rage," she said suddenly. "I know what's happened out there, you almost killed her! The queen..."

"She told me you were dead..." Gold said, getting out of her grasp.

"You know how to use the magic," Belle said. "I know there is more you can do than this."

"Belle, I'd rather you just leave this alone. Shouldn't have even come back into the shop when you did," he said, turning around.

But she was persistent and she spun him around again.

"I'm staying right here," she said, leaning into him and catching his lips, wanting to linger there forever. She still loved him, whether he liked it or not, and according to his reaction he did. Belle did not want to fight with him.

When they released, Rumpel gave her a different stare, one of a dazed man as he gave her a small half-smile, which she rather liked. Keeping her hands on his shoulders, she sighed and leaned in to rest on his left shoulder while he held her close.

"Is zat you two making up in there?" a little voice said from inside a closet. Belle blinked as they both turned to see Fifi coming out of the closet.

"Fifi!" Belle exclaimed. "You're all right."

"Yes, I am, of course I am," she said. "Where is everyone?" Belle pointed upstairs where the duster dashed after her direction. They stayed downstairs to talk about the magic, and Belle's understanding became slightly clearer.

"When were you going to tell me about the housekeepers?" Rumpel asked, wanting to get off the subject of magic.

"Heh, whenever I thought you could take it," Belle replied. "But I suppose the cat is out of the bag on that one now..."

"It's all right, I may have worked you too hard, and I'm sorry for that...I'm sorry for a lot of things..."

Belle wouldn't let their conversation go that way, not so depressingly. She kissed him again on the sofa they were sitting on, but this time he pulled away.

"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked.

"Distracting you am I?" she asked as she crawled on top of him. "Maybe I just don't want to see you sad anymore." She bent down to kiss him again, and this time he didn't pull away.

Now that she could kiss him and nothing would happen, no curse could be broken yet his magic remained intact, Belle wanted to make up for all their lost time. A kiss was only a beginning according to her.

"I've missed you," she whispered. He doesn't respond, for he's too lost in the moment. For a few minutes they just lie in their positions as he takes in the view before him. She's just so beautiful to him, he almost can't stand it.

"What about us, huh?" Lumiere shouts from the stairs. "Are we human or what?"

Belle and Rumpel emerge from the couch, and Cogsworth reels the candlestick back, saying they may have interrupting something. Lumiere raised his eyebrows and made a growling noise.

Rumpelstiltskin made them a deal to leave him and Belle alone for the rest of the next two days and then he changed them all into humans, knowing exactly how to do it. They went about, trying to walk and clean the house. Mrs. Potts did not approve at all of the state the kitchen was in.

Belle and Rumpelstiltskin setting in his room for the rest of the day, talking and just being on their own. They missed each other's company, and Gold just wanted to make all her bad memories go away as if they had never existed.

"I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," she said quietly as she laid back on the bed and curled up next to him.

"Still love a monster, do ya?" he asked. She smiled.

"You're not a monster," she said, keeping close to him. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she saw the chipped teacup on the dresser across the room. She smiled, recalling the memory back in the shop when she'd been surprised he'd kept such a thing.

"Belle, I love you too." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.


End file.
